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Archive for February, 2010

A friend who manages a database connecting senior retired officers, defense contractors and military members sent me this article this morning and I felt it had to be re-posted on the blog. I promise to get back to the intended purpose of the blog soon; but if you want to feel better about the future of our country just take a minute and read this. I spent 3 years at the Army’s Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning and I still count those as the most rewarding and enjoyable years of my military career. So to all my Jarhead friends from an old Army grunt, Semper Fi.

The Making of A Marine

2LT Jordan Blashek

The short essay below is by Jordan Blashek, Princeton 2009, who decided to turn down acceptance to medical school to join the U.S. Marine Corps and enter its Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated in December 2009. Written originally as an explanation of his decision for his high school classmates, it is worth reading – and appreciating – by us all.

“You Joined Us” —

That phrase is carved into a steel plaque that tauntingly guards the entrance to the Officers’ barracks at Camp Barrett in Quantico, VA. As I hobbled inside, exhausted from another 15-hour day, my roommate half-jokingly pointed to the plaque, “Why did we do that again?” I smiled. Today had been a long day. Waking at 4 AM, we spent the next 9 hours outside in the pouring rain learning hand-to-hand combat and outdated bayonet techniques. Without warming layers, hats or gloves, our hands quickly went numb and our bodies started shaking uncontrollably in the 30-degree temperature. Finally, we were sent back inside to clean our rifles, which must be spotless before we can wash off our bodies. As 8 PM rolled around and we were still cleaning on a Friday night – when my high school and college friends were out at Happy Hours – I thought about that plaque on the wall:

Why exactly did I join, again?

It’s a question I have tried to answer many times for my family and friends, but never feel as though I have fully conveyed my reasons. I made the decision to join the U.S. Marine Corps at the start of my senior year at Princeton, turning down an acceptance to medical school in the process. I kept the decision to myself until I broke the news to my shocked parents over Christmas Break. I ran through the litany of justifications for them: I wanted to serve my country. I wanted the camaraderie and the pride of being in the Marine Corps brotherhood. I needed the challenge to test my true capabilities and strength. I would receive the best leadership training on the planet, which would help me in any future career I chose. I wanted adventure and the chance to be a part of history in Iraq or Afghanistan. I wanted to exude that same confidence that I saw in every Marine officer I have met. Whether I convinced them or not, in the end, none of these “reasons” alleviated my parents’ understandable anxiety.

When I told my plans to anyone else, I felt as though I were talking to a brick wall – the Military, especially the Marine Corps, was simply outside their reality. My closer friends would nod their heads and say something to the effect of “Wow, that’s cool;” but since I was the perennial flake of the group, most did not take my decision very seriously. And to be honest, even I was not quite sure that I would follow through with the choice. In the comfort of my college dorm, the decision to become a Marine Corps officer seemed glamorously abstract. However, on October 1, 2009 my decision suddenly became very real when I arrived at the Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, VA.

My OCS experience was surreal. Along with 407 other “Candidates” – all college graduates with newly shaved heads – I ran around for 10 weeks carrying an M16 rifle, while the Marine Corps’ famous drill instructors screamed increasingly creative insults at us. In reality, we were beginning the painful, yet deliberate process of transforming from civilians into Marine officers through some of the most intense training that exists in the US military. Meanwhile, the drill instructors continually evaluated our leadership potential as part of the time-honored tradition whereby enlisted Marines select the officers that will eventually lead them in combat. After nearly half of the officer candidates were dropped or dropped out on their own, we emerged from OCS standing a little taller and a little straighter on graduation day, December 11, 2009. That afternoon, I raised my right hand to swear the oath of office and receive my commission as a second lieutenant. That oath obligates me to serve a minimum of four years in uniform.

Ultimately, I joined the US Marine Corps because I believe that officers bear the most solemn responsibility in our nation, and that was a duty I could not, and should not, leave for others to assume. To say that I wanted that responsibility is not quite right, because being a Marine officer is not about one’s self, wants or needs; it is about guiding the young 18 and 19 year-old Marines fighting this country’s wars on our behalf. I decided that serving them was the highest honor and responsibility I could have at this point in my life. As one speaker at my commissioning ceremony explained:

“As second lieutenants, you must have a strong sense of the great responsibility of your office; the resources which you will expend in war are human lives. This is not about you anymore. This is about the young Marines who will place their lives in your hands. It is your job to take care of them, even when that means placing them in mortal danger. That awesome responsibility – the weight which now rests on you – is reflected in those gold bars which you will soon place on your shoulders.”

That is why the plaque hangs in every portal through which we pass – You Joined Us. We chose to bear this responsibility and we must make absolutely sure we are prepared to fulfill it, because young American lives are at stake. If that means being cold and miserable; studying for ungodly hours; and going for days without sleep, then so be it. That is the price of the salute we receive from our Marines.

Five months into my service commitment, I have not regretted my decision for a moment. I already have unforgettable memories from my experience and new friendships with diverse and exceptional peers from all over the country. We have had moments of pure fun together and laughed harder than I ever thought possible. We have also been humbled by the stories and portraits of brave Lieutenants – those who fought and died after roaming the very halls where we now stand and their portraits hang. Most of all, I am immensely proud to bear the title of ‘United States Marine,’ an honor that I will carry with me my entire life. Semper Fi.

Real Estate News and Info

Real Estate News You Can Use

News From Big Canoe Smoke Signals

How To Sell A House

How to Sell a House
(From Our Friends Over At Market Leader)

Learn more about how to sell your home by reading this summary of the home-selling process.

Decide Whether You Want to Sell

Take some time to reflect upon whether you really want and need to sell your home. The selling process takes a lot of time, patience and energy—it would be a big mistake to start selling your home if you are not absolutely sure you want to do so!

Also, learn the costs associated with selling your home. The home-selling process is stressful enough. Knowing that these expenses exist, and how much they’ll set you back, will make life a little more enjoyable throughout it!

Working with a skilled, communicative, scrupulous real estate agent will make the entire home-selling process much, much easier. Take your time in finding the right agent—one that you are confident will do a stellar job marketing your home and that will work hard to represent your best interests. Beware of agents that describe how they’ll market your home in generalities or that brush aside your questions—these are not the types of people you want to work with!

Pro tip: Don’t automatically choose to work with the first agent you find, or the agent that promises the highest listing price!

Sign a Listing Contract

Listing contracts are agreements between sellers and listing brokers that establish the terms and conditions of a listing. There is no standard listing contract that is used throughout the real estate industry; there are multiple types of listing contracts and their terms and conditions are negotiable.
Here are the three kinds of listing contracts:
• Exclusive right to sell – The most common type of listing contract.
• Open listing – For homeowners who want to sell their home by themselves but are also willing to work with a real estate agent.
• One-time show – A contract that allows a specific agent to show a FSBO (for sale by owner) home to one of their clients. Per the terms of this contract, the seller pays a commission to the agent if their client agrees to buy the home.

Your listing contract should address these important questions:
• What will the agent’s commission rate be?
• Are there any situations where the agent’s commission rate will be adjusted? (For example, if a friend decides to buy your house without the agent being involved in their decision to do so.)
• What will the length of the listing period be?
• How will disagreements between you and the agent be resolved?
• Will you and the agent use a lockbox to facilitate showings, or will you need to be present for them?
• Will your home appear in MLS (multiple listing service) listings?

Prepare Your Home for Showings

Even well kept homes that don’t require repairs need at least some cleaning and staging before they are put on the market. Keep your house vacuumed and dusted, and put knick-knacks in storage. Rearrange the furniture so that room layouts are conducive to foot traffic. Make your home as well-lit as possible by keeping curtains and blinds open, washing windows, and replacing light bulbs that are out.
It’s also important to improve curb appeal by polishing up your home’s exterior. This entails pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, and maintaining the landscaping throughout the period of time your home is on the market. If the house itself looks a little worn down, it may be wise to put on a fresh coat of paint, and powerwash the decks, patios and walkways.

Remember: your yard gives buyers their first impression of your home, so keep it in good shape!

Make the following repairs, if they are necessary. These minor cosmetic fixes don’t cost much and will do a lot to reassure potential buyers that your home is in good condition.
• Fix leaky faucets
• Replace cracked windows
• Replace jiggly doorknobs
• Repair loose handrails
While it isn’t necessary to do so, making the following improvements will increase your home’s value and lead to a higher sale price.
• Replace kitchen appliances
• Install an alarm system
• Paint walls

Price Your Home

A home seller’s best friend is their real estate agent—especially when it comes to pricing their home. Your agent’s knowledge of the local real estate market and the stats they’ll compile for comparative analysis will prove invaluable when determining the best listing price for your home.

Home pricing is largely based on what comparable homes in the area have recently sold for. “Comparables” typically have the following qualities:
• Similar age, square footage, and bedroom count
• Listed within the last six months
• Located within the same local market
Looking for more information on how to price your home? Consider the following:
• It’s not always imperative to have the lowest-priced home on your block!
• Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. They won’t attach the same sentimental value to your home that you do, so they’ll likely balk at the price if you factor sentimental value into it.
• Keep your focus on where your local housing market is going.
• If a home is well-marketed and is located in an area with a competitive market, intentionally under-pricing the home can lead to bidding wars that bring its price up to a more desirable level.

Keep Your Home in Good Condition

You never know when a potential buyer may want to see your house, so it’s important to keep it in good condition for the entire time it’s on the market. Keep it ready for showings by doing the following:
• Dust and vacuum often
• Keep bathrooms spotless
• Keep your sink free of dishes
• Keep your dishwasher clean

Consider Deal Sweeteners

In a buyer’s market, sellers sometimes add deal sweeteners to make their home seem more attractive than the competition. Deal sweeteners provide financial or psychological assistance to buyers and can serve as powerful incentives for them to make an offer!
Common deal sweeteners include:
• Buying down the homebuyer’s mortgage rate
• Paying the closing costs
• Offering a transferable home warranty

Decide What Offer to Take

From the many offers you receive, carefully choose which one you want to accept!
Pro tip: Meet every offer you don’t want to accept—even insultingly-small lowball offers—with a counteroffer. You never know when a buyer may cave and agree to pay much more than it originally seemed like they would.

Sign the Purchase Agreement and Choose a Closing Date

After you accept an offer, you will sign the purchase agreement and agree on a closing date with the buyer. Depending upon the terms of the purchase agreement (e.g. if the seller agrees to make repairs before closing), the closing date can take place six or more weeks after the agreement is signed.

Have Your Home Appraised

Have your home appraised to determine its value. Admittedly, this is something the buyer and their mortgage lender will be more concerned about. The mortgage lender hires the appraiser, and the buyer pays for their services. However, if the buyer included an appraisal contingency in their offer, your relationship with the buyer could come to a swift end if their offer price far exceeds the appraised value of the house!

Prepare for Closing

Get ready to close on the sale of your home by doing the following:
• Prepare disclosures. You must disclose every flaw and shortcoming of your home that could adversely affect the new owner’s enjoyment of it. Legal action can result if the buyer is not made aware of any problems, whether by design or by unintentional omission on the part of the seller.
• Gather and prepare necessary paperwork. This includes documents like the certificate of title.
• Keep your home in good condition. The deal can be jeopardized if you do not clean and maintain your home before closing.

Attend the Final Walkthrough

Sellers must attend the final walkthrough to answer any last-minute questions the buyer may have. Final walkthroughs take place between a few hours and a few days before closing and are meant to ensure that your home is in the agreed-upon condition. The buyer will confirm that repairs outlined in the purchase agreement have been made and that the home’s condition has remained the same since the purchase agreement was signed.

Attend the Closing

Sign a seemingly-endless stream of paperwork at the closing, and ownership of your former home will officially pass to the buyer. Every party with a claim on the money earned from the sale of the home will get paid simultaneously—your mortgage lender (if you still have an outstanding mortgage), your real estate agent, the appraiser, other third parties and, finally, you.

Looking For A Lively Conversation ?

The May meeting of " Think Out Loud" will be held next Tuesday, May 1 from 11:30 to 1 at 61 Main in Jasper.

Nancy Maxwell has suggested discussing the nature of open and closed minds as a topic for this month, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the publication of The Closing of the American Mind. So, our discussion will center on: what is a truly open mind? how do otherwise intelligent people allow their minds to be closed? how does this injure the thinking process? what are the causes of a closed mind?

If you plan to come, please confirm the host Carl Japikse at
carl@lightariel.com

Request More Info!Please let us know what additional information you need by completing the short form below. We typically respond within the hour. If you need to contact us immediately, please call (404) 316-1501.

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